Author Archive for Sheri – Page 3

This past week I was treated to an evening with Sherwin Williams to hear all about their colour trends for 2017. While my design style tends to be more ‘timeless’, it was interesting to hear about the 4 trends and form my opinion.

Colour Trend: Noir

Noir means night, and just as you may think, the majority of these colours are deep and rich. My first gut reaction was, ‘ugh!’ It’s so dark and heavy and not fresh feeling at all (and fresh is what most of my clients are asking for).

Using these colours paired just right can lead to some pretty amazing spaces. I’m seeing more and more of these deep, rich colours making a dramatic space. Anchors Aweigh (SW 9179) paired with white still leaves a room feeling fresh!

When I saw this palette come up, the feelings I had were much different compared to Noir. For me, this evokes a feeling of relaxation, calm and peace. I’m not sure if you feel that – but that is what I feel!

Colour Trend: Intrepid

For those of you who may be timid to add colour on a wall, this palette allows you to add that big splash of colour (perhaps with toss cushions) instead of making the big committment on a wall. Popular Gray works so well with Dahlia and Rayo de Sol! There are also many other colours in the colour trend palette that would also work.

Colour Trend: Unbounded

If there was one word I would use to describe this palette, it would be global. As Sherwin Williams describes this palette,

This colour trend category are colours I don’t use a ton as they are colours that are not requested a lot by my clients. But oh….how fun these would be to create a space! Sealskin was actually a contender for a vanity however we decided, in the end that another colour was even better!

Colour Trend 2017

While I originally thought I was drawn to just one colour palette (Holistic), I have taken my time to view all of the colours and really investigate them. While I know some of my clients that I have right now would not go for many of these colours, there are some colours that would be great for accent and decor items and possibly even a front door colour. What is important to keep in mind is that not every colour will work in your home and with your fixed elements. In addition, trends will come and go and these 4 colour trends will definitely go at some point in time. That being said, if you’re ready to add some splash of colour, there are some great options!

Looking to make some changes in your home? Contact me today and let’s start the conversation!

Two years ago I made the committment to blog every week. There has not been a Monday that I have not posted a blog and tomorrow is no different. As I sit here on a Sunday afternoon, the day before I publish a new blog, I am finding that I am still on holiday mode. I have been away for two weeks to Maui, Hawaii and I am honestly struggling to be motivated to write. I believe my mindset is: “I have just one more day!” That being said, I know how important blogging has been for my business and how it has educated my clients and future clients. So while I had a great two-week holiday recharge and just relaxed and unwound, I know it’s time to get my mind-set back into the swing of things!

Social media plays a huge part in my business. I am consistent with my postings for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google + as well as Instagram. What I am careful about is posting when I am away or on a holiday. I don’t like to ‘advertise’ that I am away. I like my privacy and really enjoy sharing good content but being humble all at the same time. I keep my vacations a ‘secret’, until I am home. Then I’ll share some great photos or memories of our holiday. Here are a few great photos (at least I think they are as they all bring back some fun, amazing memories).

The view from our lanai from our condo.

The amazing sunsets – you just can’t beat!

Holiday Recharge: Hard to turn it completely off!

While on this particular holiday, I really tried to ‘shut down’ and not think of work. I worked extremely hard prior to leaving to ensure everything was going to be taken care of (especially those projects where construction was going on). I also found it challenging to totally shut off. When I came across the furniture in the lobby of The Four Seasons Maui my mind went quickly into, “…that would be a great post on Instagram!”

This post truly signifies what I believe I feel when I work with clients. And I’m happy to report although that post was written almost a year ago, I still feel the same.

While I enjoy my last day of ‘holidays’ today, I am thinking of all the great projects that are going on right now, the ones that are in the design phase as well as those that are ‘on deck’ and ready to start (and thank you to my wonderful clients to wait until I got back from holidays)! I am grateful for my ‘extended family’ of clients who continue to put their trust in me. A huge, heartfelt “mahalo nui loa.”

Recently in Alberta, our Provincial government announced a new energy program called The Residential No-Charge Energy Savings Program. If you sign up for this program, the government will send an Energy Efficiency Alberta installer to your home. They will visit your home and conduct a walkthrough to identify potential opportunities for energy-efficient upgrades at no charge. While some may argue that you, the tax payer are actually paying for it, I’m not going to get into the political argument of this program. What I will do is discuss the options and things you should consider when changing lightbulbs with this light bulb guide.

Light Bulb Guide

Colour Temperature

Most people don’t really pay attention when they go to change lightbulbs. My guess is most people look at price and wattage and that’s it. There is however something that most people do not consider – the temperature of the light. “Colour temperature is a way to describe the light appearance provided by a light bulb (lamp). It is measured in degrees of Kelvin (K) on a scale from 1,000 to 10,000.” (Westinghouse)

Light Bulb Guide: Choose Wisely

So when it comes time for you to change out lightbulbs, or when the government gives you free lightbulbs, be sure to check what bulbs they are giving you and make sure they are correct for your home. The wrong light bulb will certainly change the entire feel of the room.

Related Posts

This past week I posted the following picture on my Facebook account with the words: “More and more of my clients seem to be requesting a curbless shower. One that has no step up into it. Would you be requesting one for your bathroom? “

It was very interesting the feedback that I received. Here are a few of the responses:

“I wouldn’t like one I don’t think – I am too anal about water on the floor and cleaning and etc.”

“I love the look of these, but I really don’t understand how they could possibly keep the water out, even with a bit of a slope. Water outside would make me crazy.”

“Our bathroom at the resort has a curbless shower. I’ve flooded our bathroom twice because they didn’t slope it enough or make a drain close to the door …”

“Less of a trip factor, etc. for the boomers, including myself.”

“No. I like a dry floor outside of the shower.”

Did you notice that most of the responses involved some kind of worry about water on the floor? Since these type of showers are becoming more and more popular (with aging in place as well as with clients who enjoy a minimalist design), I thought I’d shed some light on a curbless shower.

Curbless Shower: The Prep Work

As a designer, it is important to know (at least I think so) what is involved in a curbless shower so that when you design one, you are aware of the labour and process involved in installing one. I have had a curbless shower installed for one of my clients (final photos to be coming soon) and when speaking with the tile setter, it was important to know his process. I really needed to know his timeline for installing this type of shower so that I could set aside the appropriate amount of time for the work to get done. While every shower will be different (based on design), I have found there to be 2 ‘camps’ on installing a curbless shower.

Curbless Shower: Structural Drop in the Floor

Kevin Eckert wrote a great blog on the process of creating a curbless shower that involves a structural drop in the floor.

While I’m not going to go into the details (and please feel free to read his great blog on this entire process), if you do go this route, it is important to know early in the planning stages! This involves structural changes and must be addressed early on in the planning stages.

Here is the result for this exact shower:

Do you see how the floor is sloped to the middle. Also note, this shower is not totally complete.

Curbless Shower: The Beauty

While the comments on my Facebook post tended to be around the water worry, all I will say is that if you have a great tile installer who knows what they are doing, you can have some gorgeous showers that have no water issues! Here are a few of my favourite curbless shower designs.

I was recently forwarded an article by property investor Kristal Heise, who owns Mahalo Properties. Kristal sent me an article that she thought would be an interesting read for me. The article was titled: 7 Things We Wish We Knew Before We Started Flipping Houses. While the article hit many great points, as I read through it there was one thing that struck me as odd. Nowhere in the article was there ever a mention of hiring an Interior Designer. It got me thinking as to why property investors may not consider using one. Having worked with property investors in the past, and currently working with them now, I thought this would be a great topic for a blog.

Renovating a Property: Hiring An Interior Designer

In the article mentioned above, the author lists finding a great contractor as number one on their list. While I totally agree you need to have a great contractor, you are missing what I believe is the most important step before hiring a contractor! Um hum….an Interior Designer. Although I am not a lawyer, here are my arguments for hiring an Interior Designer prior to a contractor.

Design

When you hire an Interior Designer they will design your renovation for you. What can that look like? It can come in many shapes and sizes however when you work with me, it looks like the following:

Options are looked at and provided to the investor. The function of the property is always thought of during the design phase. Once the plan is approved by the owner, every step taken forward is based off of this plan. This plan becomes the ‘roadmap’ for the renovation. Using the plan, items that are staying and used in the renovation are identified and items needed to purchased are identified. The list goes on and on. And why is that so important?

Specifying Elements

Without a plan, how do you know what you need to buy for your renovation? Have you seen how many sizes and choices there are for something as simple as a bathroom vanity? And do you know what all has to be thought of?

What size does the vanity have to be? Who is using the bathroom(function)?

Does the vanity already come with a counter and sink?

If not, what type of counter should go on the vanity?

What size of sink should be used? What style of sink?

Depending on the sink, what faucet are we going to need?

When you hire an Interior Designer, these are the things we think of. This bathroom vanity is just one example of all of the decisions that need to be made. All measurement decisions also have to be made.

Budget

It’s so funny because as a child growing up, I really hated math. I know the word ‘hate’ is strong, but I really did hate math. That is why I find it so funny that pulling together a renovation budget gets me just as excited as creating the design. What I love best is sharing my Designer Discount with my clients. For those of you who I have worked with, you know exactly what I am talking about. Do you think you would get those discounts without me? No sorry – you wouldn’t. Why? Because I have worked hard at creating relationships with great Trade Only sources. As a result, I continue to come back time after time to purchase. As such, I continue to not only get great service, I get great pricing! A win-win! I love seeing what ‘retail’ pricing is and then the next column over, my Designer Discount and what my clients are saving!

On this particular kitchen renovation, my client saved $6,889.14 by simple working with me and choosing great products for her renovation!

By having a design plan in place, you can get quotes to have the work carried out. Just imagine how professional you look when a General Contractor or various trades comes in and ask you what is going to be done and you present them with a solid plan. Just imagine when the electrician or plumber ask you a question and you have the answer. You have a clear vision of what you want done. What does that mean for you? No surprise bills at the end! You should be able to get a quote to have the work carried out with little to no changes along the way.

Calendar

For those of you who know me well, you know I am a very structured person. So this won’t surprise you. Ahhh…the construction calendar. I’ve just completed two so I’m still on the ‘calendar high’! When this gets pulled together I get goose bumps. I know when a construction calendar is created, we are close to starting the ball rolling. Once the ball starts, it doesn’t stop until we’re done. There should me minimal to no delays (baring any curve-balls) because all of the work has been done prior to this stage. The planning is all done. The picking out of items and shopping is all done. It’s now time for the experts and trades to come in and get ‘er done!

Manage

When you put time and effort into all of the above, it is nice to be given the go-ahead to drive the ship! Although some may look at this part as baby-sitting the trades, I look at it as a time where I get to see the trades in their element. Meet them, talk to them, get to know them as a person; create a relationship with them. Why do you think the trades want to keep working on my projects? Respect. It’s a two-way street. This is also a time where I get to see the stages of the renovation. The ugly demolition stage, the boring plumbing and electrical rough-in stage (sorry guys – as an Interior Designer I don’t get jacked-up often at this stage), the exciting stage where drywall starts to re-shape the space, and of course – the finishing stages.

Hiring an Interior Designer: Invest

When you are ready to invest in a property that needs a renovation it means there will be work. What you need to consider is:

Do you have the time?

Do you have the energy to see the project from start to completion?

Do you have the connections to get great pricing along with on-trend items?

Do you have the design background to design your property ?

Do yo have the complete vision for your property?

If you answer no to any of those, then I suggest you hire an Interior Designer who loves working with property investors. A designer who gets the whole process of renovating!

When meeting clients for the first time to discuss a possible renovation, I typically ask the age of the home. When someone tells me their home was built prior to 1987 I know the swear word asbestos is going to come up. How do I know? Because I ask the question: “Has your home been tested for asbestos?” What typically comes back is a swear word.

Asbestos: Do I have it in my home?

If your home was built prior to 1987, the likely hood of having asbestos is pretty great. The areas where you may have asbestos are as follows:

Your Role/My Role

Many homeowners have no clue that their home may contain asbestos. If your home was built prior to 1987 and you are wishing to undertake a large renovation with walls coming down and ceilings being touched, please – for the love of Pete, get the areas tested.

I would like to point out the following: IF your home as asbestos and it is NOT disturbed, everything is fine. There is nothing to worry about. However, if you are looking at a renovation that includes taking down walls, removal of ceilings, etc., then I believe it is my job to educate my clients. Here is what I say to my clients.

Prior to any work being done, let’s get a team in here to test the areas we are going to look at.

The reason I suggest this as the first step, even before design work starts, is to know if there is asbestos. Typically if there is, an abatement team would need to be hired to remove it safely and of course, that affects the budget as well as the renovation timeline. Cue the stress factor!

Asbestos Stress

Is life over?

No – absolutely not. However many clients get very stressed when they realize their home has asbestos. The good news is that is that if the asbestos-known areas are not touched, you are fine. According to Top Quality Inspections and Consulting:

“Asbestos materials do not pose a hazard if left undisturbed.”

Budget

Will your budget for your renovation go up? Most likely, yes it will. This is the reason I ask to have this done before any design work happens. You may be thinking: hold on a minute, I have to have demo work done anyway. It should be a wash. Here is the reason why it is not. Although you will need to have demolition done with your renovation, the remediation you need to have is not the same price tag as a simple demolition.

Can I DIY?

While I would never DIY an asbestos issue myself, it is important to note that every case will be different. Recently, in a home that I had clients have a test done, 3 areas were tested and 2 were found to have ‘asbestos detected’.

Asbestos materials identified should not be disturbed without the employment of accepted asbestos abatement procedures. These procedures are outlined in the Alberta Human Resource and Employment, Workplace Health and Safety Asbestos Abatement Manual (2012). Asbestos materials do not pose a hazard if left undisturbed. However, once asbestos materials are disturbed, fibres become airborne, which greatly increases the health hazards to building occupants if these fibres are inhaled.

Approximately 160 sq. ft. of asbestos-containing drywall within the living room should be removed from the property by a qualified abatement contractor, following moderate risk procedures.

Approximately 80 sq. ft. of asbestos-containing drywall within the main and ensuite bathrooms should be removed from the property by a qualified abatement contractor, following moderate risk procedures.

Approximately 500 sq. ft. of ceiling texture coat within the main floor of the property should be removed from the property by a qualified abatement contractor, following high risk procedures.

Please refer to the Alberta Human Resources and Employment, Workplace Health and Safety Asbestos Abatement Manual (2012) for details on the different work procedures. Compliance with the Asbestos Abatement Manual (2012) and the Occupational Health and Safety Code (2009) must occur. Disposal of all asbestos-containing materials is governed by the current Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and the current Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

Air monitoring for asbestos fibres should be performed by a qualified individual during the removal of all asbestos-containing materials. Air samples should be taken before any removal (background samples), during removal (ambient air samples), and after final cleaning (final air clearance samples), to ensure fibre concentrations do not exceed occupational or environmental guidelines.

Did any of you read the words, “DIY”? I sure didn’t.

Listening to the Pros

While there may be contractors who may turn a blind eye and suggest handling it on their own (or pretending it isn’t even present), I strongly encourage you to stop for a minute and evaluate the risks. Asbestos is a known cancer-causing material. Period. End of story. Is your life worth $3500? $4000? $4500?

If you enlist the help of a professional team to test your home, the I strongly encourage you to take their advice on how to handle the situation. After all, it is your home, it is your family, and it is all of the other workers that will be entering your home to help you renovate it. I’m just going to say it. “Don’t be stupid.”

For my renovation projects, I enlist the help of Veroncia Waterfield with Top Quality Inspections and Consulting here in Calgary. Veronica takes her time, she is extremely knowledgable and will answer any questions you may have. I also know that if a client discovers they have asbestos, and the renovation has to be put on hold for the time-being, I totally understand. I know I can sleep at night knowing I gave my clients information to protect them (and to protect any crews as well as myself).

Please note, this is not intended to scare you. It is intended to educate you. I understand there are different views on this matter however for me, it’s pretty black and white.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from Jody Roberts who is the General Manager of SIS Supply and Install Exterior Renovations Specialist. SIS is looking to add value for their clients in having a designer assist their clients in choosing confident exterior colour choices. I had previously worked with SIS on a project where my clients were getting new windows and a new, grand front door. I chose the colour of the front door to work with their existing red brick that has hints of grey in it. They style of the door also is in line with the architectural style of the home.

When I had questions, I talked with Megan at SIS and dealt with her directly. Apparently I made a very good impression as I was the name that came up when SIS was talking about bringing on a designer to assist their clients. I’m very humbled and honoured to be chosen by SIS!

Exterior Colour Choices: First Steps

When looking at making exterior colour choices, it is very important to identify what it staying and what will be changed. Here is my list of what I go through with home owners:

Roof

Body of the house

Brick/Stone

Window frames

Soffits

Gutters and downspouts Fascia boards

Shutters

Trim

Decks and railings

Front door

Exterior Colour Choices: Who is the boss?

Fixed elements that are staying

If any of the above is staying, it is so important to identify the undertones of each element. The elements that are staying will drive decisions moving forward.

This stone has a blue undertone

This stone has an orange undertone

Architectural Style

In my honest opinion, this HAS to be considered. Does your home have a specific architectural style? Most likely it does. That will also determine the path that will be taken with the new colour choices.

I am currently working on a project where my clients are going to be moving into a new house in the summer. The new house is gorgeous and has been fully renovated. So why did my clients hire me? As the house sits, the design is very industrial and has quite a cold feeling to it. My clients want the house to be their home. For the main floor, I am assisting them with space planning of all of their furniture. That includes the kitchen/eating area, the family room (off the kitchen), the den and the master bedroom. So what do I have planned for this house?

Space Planning: Let’s Get This Right

When looking at furnishing an entire room, it is important to get the scale correct. There is no point in ordering custom furniture when you have no idea what size to order! My clients were open to suggestions so I provided two options to start off to get the ball rolling with ideas.

Space Planning: Sectional Option

With this design, I used a sectional to create a real, ‘kick-off-your-shoes’ space plan. The sectional was positioned facing the fireplace as the TV is mounted above it. This room is also the room where my clients will spend a lot of time. I placed the two accent chairs in front of the window. The window in this space is a great size and almost goes to the floor. By placing the accent chairs in front of this window, a lot of natural light was going to be able to flow through this room. Here is one option:

Space Planning: Traditional Option

For this option, I designed the space using the ‘traditional’ sofa and love seat combination. In this plan, I continued to place the accent chairs in front of the window to allow as much natural light to come through this room. Here is this plan:

Space Planning: The Final Plan

When I presented these two plans to my clients, there was one thing that was important to Mr. Client. In their current home, Mr. Client has a reclining chair. As this is important to him, and his current chair would not be coming into this space, I sourced out some really great recliners (see image below). Here is the floor plan for this space (with furniture still to be moved in the correct space):

I have added in some ‘standard’ measurements. For example, the recommended distance between a piece of furniture and a coffee table is 18″ Oh, and if you’re still thinking about the recliners, here is what the recliner looks like. Pretty sexy for a recliner! I’ll be choosing an equally sexy leather to go on these bad-boys!

Space Planning

Now that the ‘big’ furniture has been decided on (for size and function), we are now onto the pretty part. The area rug was my driving force in this room as I worked everything around this space for colours. In addition, as I mentioned above, the house currently is very industrial and has quite a cold feeling. I’ll be adding drapery to this room, with the addition of the area rug and of course, toss cushions!

I’m looking forward to continuing putting together this home for my clients.

Not sure where to start with your interior design? Contact me today to discuss your next project.

This past weekend I went on a shopping trip with clients to solidify items for their renovation project. I don’t typically work on the weekends however this project falls in the ‘special’ category. What makes this project ‘special’? This project is on a tight timeline as it is an investment property. The quicker this property gets renovated, the faster it can be listed to sell. I knew that shopping with my clients on a Saturday was going to be WAY more productive compared to me brining in samples, discussing the pros and cons of each, and then having me take samples back. I know that keeping track during a renovation is essential. By keeping track, everything is documented, organized, and most importantly the project can stay on budget and on time.

Keeping track during a renovation

As you may be aware, I’m a total list person and process person. When I create systems to streamline my business I get all excited! I know that sounds crazy, but it’s a total high for me. Say the word ‘list’ and watch my eyes get wide with excitment!

When it comes to any renovation, here is a simplified process I follow (note: this is only a partial list of my process for the entire project):

Design the space and/or spaces.

Create a list for each space (what needs to be purchased).

Keep track of items.

Keeping track during a renovation: Design

Once the design has been approved, I always bring my laptop with me for my shopping trips. I don’t like to waste paper so I typically don’t print off the design. I would rather bring my laptop with me to open up the plan (if need be).

Here is the master ensuite that we were specifically shopping for:

Keeping track during a renovation: Keeping Track

As I have said before, I am a total list person. I have created a system that I use for each space. For this master ensuite I have the following lists:

Sourcing Sheet

Sourcing Updates

Sourcing Sheet

For this sheet, I have a template that I have created that includes everything and anything that may possibly go into a master ensuite. Here is a glimpse of the sheet:

Keeping Track Sheet

Once I solidify where we are going to get certain items, then it’s time to track when:

Pricing was received for the item.

The item was ordered

The item was paid for.

The order was received.

The order was delivered to the job site.

Here is a sneak peek at my list:

Keeping track during a renovation: Why?

When I am sourcing from a lot of different vendors, it is extremely important to keep track where I sourced things, what the price was, and if we are going to go ahead and order or purchase those items. I typically like to have all the items onsite when the demo begins. This ensures there are not delays in waiting for product. Being proactive as opposed to reactive is how I role!

Going back to my shopping day with my clients, we were able to solidify a ton of things in just under 2 1/2 hours! Not only did we solidify most things for the master ensuite, we also pounded out the entire home colour palette including the hardwood stain and all of the main floor wall colours. Here is what we solidified (and if you don’t already know, when I solidify things I say, ‘we bagged it’)!

While I have a few more things to source for this main floor renovation, a productive day is a successful day!

On October 17, 2106, I met my client to discuss a potential kitchen renovation. One of the questions she asked me is, “Can I have a new kitchen before Christmas?” As I’m a backwards planner I took a look at my calendar and quickly worked through a kitchen renovation timeline and thought: It’s totally do-able, but we have to get making decisions quickly. 3 months, 3 days later, my client received her Christmas wish!

The Process

While the timeline for the actual construction phase was only 4.5 weeks long, I wanted to give you the real kitchen renovation timeline of this entire project.

BEFORE

Here are two photos of the kitchen that was going to be transformed.

Conceptual Designs

I always like to give my clients at least two options (if I can). This allows for my clients to see the pros and cons of each and make an informed decision.

Through this phase with my client we discussed moving a wall to make room for an island however after our conversations together, my client really liked her kitchen in the back of her home and the privacy the current wall gave her. So – the wall stayed.

Due to no walls moving, I was still able to come up with two options. Although the layout really wasn’t going to change, there were some key wishes that I heard my client express.

Conceptual Design Option 1

Below is the first option. There are items in this option that checked some of the wish list items:

More counter space by the stove area.

More useable storage for all uppers and lowers.

A place for the microwave.

While there are some people who really dislike an OTR (over the range) microwave, when space is limited, it really is a great option to place a microwave. On this plan the following were created:

I moved the refrigerator over to allow for more counter space by the stove.

The trash compactor was removed and each corner base cabinet was configured to have a wonderful pull out to maximize the corners and storage.

A larger tall pantry was installed.

All upper cabinets were made to go as high as they could (36” in height).

Pull out drawers were installed to add maximum use in the base cabinets based on my clinets needs.

Here is a conceptual rendering.

Conceptual Design Option 2

This option also checked off items on the wish list:

More counter space by the stove.

A nice hood fan

Built in microwave

More counter space by the stove area.

More useable storage.

Here is the conceptual rendering of Option 2.

Decision Time

When we went over the two plans the one thing I pointed out with Option 2 was the following:

Although a really nice hood fan would be installed, no one was really going to see it other than my client. It really wasn’t going to be a ‘feature’.

By placing the microwave in the tall cabinet (as placing it in one of the lower cabinets was not an option), it was going to take away significant space in that tall cabinet.

In the end, Option 1 is what we went for.

Kitchen Renovation Timeline

Once the decision to go with Option 1 was made, a construction timeline was created based on when the cabinets would be delivered. I worked backwards from that date to schedule in the crew to get the things done that needed to be done prior to cabinet install. Here is a snapshot of the construction calendar. You may see 2 days with nothing happening. This calendar was the updated version as the crew was 2 days ahead of schedule (how nice!)

I had the cleaning crew come in on the weekend due to their schedule (as I love my cleaners and had to work around their pre-Christmas schedule).

The real timeline

While I would love to brag that this project took only 4.5 weeks, it really was 3 months and 3 days from the start to the end. What I want to stress, and the whole point of this blog, is to realize that it takes time to plan a kitchen renovation. Here is the breakdown of this project:

Design of space (working on function): 23 days

Although this timeline was quite short, what you need to know that it can vary as it really does depend on the scope of the project and the size of the space. Remember, this project wasn’t having any walls moved and most everything was staying in its place. What I would like to stress in this phase is to take your time. Many questions should be asked and answered when deigning a new kitchen for clients. If you’re not sure what questions should be asked, here is a good list of questions that can be found here.

For this project, we started on October 17 and I signed off on the cabinetry on Nov. 8th.

Note: it is at this phase where all appliances needed to be solidified and purchased. My kitchen cabinet team will not finalize plans until this is confirmed.

At the same time, product (sink, faucet, etc.) and selections (counters, backsplash tile, etc.) were being discussed to come up with a budget.

Please note: if you are moving walls or changing the template, this time would increase.

Specifying Product: 14 days

Once the design of the kitchen was solidified, all the ‘pretty’ was solidified. As I mentioned above, this was discussed during the design phase. Many conversations were had around what my client’s hopes and dreams were, and selections were being made (on paper). It is at this stage where everything had to be picked out and ordered well in advance. For this project, the following were purchased:

Flooring

Counters

Backsplash tile

Kitchen table

Kitchen chairs

Kitchen sink

Kitchen faucet

New track lighting

Window coverings

New wall clock

While I put 14 days up above, it was 14 days to solidify everything, make purchases, and ensure the product would be onsite the day demolition started.

Construction: 31 days

Once we had the date of cabinet delivery, a construction calendar was created to ensure we were utilizing our time to the fullest. While this particular project ended up having 2 days of ‘down time’ (due to the crew being ahead of schedule), the entire project was on time as planned. I was very fortunate that there were no curveballs thrown our way and that our client was presented a new kitchen right before Christmas.

Kitchen Renovation Timeline

Do all kitchen renovation projects take 3 months and 3 days to complete? No – don’t be silly. We totally had a renovation angel on our side. There were no construction curveballs thrown our way (which is not always common) and the project went off without a hitch. In the end, my client was granted her wish: she received a new kitchen for Christmas. I’m so happy to present to you: All I Want for Christmas Santa Is a New Kitchen. Enjoy!